Zeva Zero

Quick Summary

The Zeva Zero eVTOL has a unique flat designed that aims to carry passengers completely door to door. Zeva has a design for a 'SkyDock', which will allow the Zero to doc directly to buildings its passengers are traveling to, the idea being to eliminate 'last mile' transportation. The Zeva Zero carries a single passenger, who tilts with the Zero as it rotates from vertical mode to horizontal mode. Zeva was founded in April 2018 and is led by Steve Tibbitts, Managing Director of Incubator FabLab Tacoma.

ZEVA

Steve Tibbitts

Zero

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Company Name:ZEVA

Headquarters: Tacoma, Washington

Founder & CEO: Steve Tibbitts

Product Name: ZERO

Type of Machine: Personal or Shared eVTOL.

Power: All-electric

Capacity: Single passenger

Vertical take-off and landing:The Zero lifts into the air using 8 vertical rotors. Its coin-like structure allows for minimal drag during vertical mode take-off mode.

Fixed wing flight: From vertical take-off mode, the entirety of the Zero rotates into a horizontal postion so that its body may be used as a wing for fixed-wing flight.

Speed: About 100mph cruising.

Regulation: Although Zeva has not announced any work with regulators yet, it will be building a prototype for the GoFly competition sponsored by Boeing in October of 2019. The GoFly Competition may help Zeva take the next steps in identifying what will be necessary for airworthiness certification.

Funding: Zeva is seeking about $1.5 million in funding and is currently sponsored by the ANSYS Startup Program.

Our Take on Zeva

Although the Zeva Zero is still currently working on its prototype, its design differentiates it from most other eVTOLs on the market. Most unique is its small size; according to Zeva two Zeros can fit in a single car garage bay. Also important to note is its SkyDock system, which, unlike other eVTOL designs, completely eliminates the need for 'last mile' transportation. However, the uniqueness of the Zeva's design may also make airworthiness certification more of a challenge than for other eVTOLs that may be more similar to helicopters or airplanes. Ultimately, Zeva has a smart design, but the integration of its technology may take some time.